Rather than contribute money to the bureaucratic thieves in the American Red Cross, the homophoic Salvation Army or Pat Robertson's Operation Blessing, here is a lsit of grass-roots groups that are doing good work.

Grassroots/Low-income/People of Color-led Hurricane Katrina Relief

updated: Sun. Sept. 4, 2005, 7:59am

Where to donate to organizations who are:

* Organizing at the grassroots level in New Orleans, Biloxi, Houston and other affected areas * Providing immediate disaster relief to poor people and people of color * Directed by, or accountable to, poor people and people of color * Fostering the democratic inclusion of poor people and people of color in the rebuilding process

This list is gathered from organizations and community organizers around the country. The Sparkplug Foundation has not verified the information, nor can we provide any details about these groups; please do not call us to inquire. To add an organization, e-mail a description of the organization's work & details about how to donate to relief [at] sparkplugfoundation.org or call toll-free (877) 866-8285. Call only to add a listing, please!

Low-income communities organizing themselves Louisiana Welfare Rights Organization "WRO is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and is one of the oldest still operating welfare rights/advocacy organizations. Among the services provided by WRO are job training and low income housing apartments that are both located in New Orleans.<snip>

Please help us help low-income families in New Orleans by sending a contribution to DAWG's WRO Fund. Donations are tax deductible."

Our people in the South need our help. We cannot wait for or assume Red Cross will take care of our people. Several large Black Churches have opened their doors to displaced people. Here is a list of things NEEDED TODAY:

National coordination of low-income-targeted relief? ACORN See ACORN/Katrina-Response info at http://www.acorn.org Baton Rouge office: (225) 930-6385. If you can't reach them, you can try the NY office: 718-246-7900.

POC-led relief BlackAmerica Web.com

"This fund has been set up by nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner." BlackAmericaWeb.com Relief Fund PO Box 803209/ Dallas, TX 75240 OR you can make an online donation: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/relief

POC-led relief/ direct assistance NAACP "The NAACP is setting up command centers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as part of its disaster relief efforts. NAACP units across the nation have begun collecting resources that will be placed on trucks and sent directly into the disaster areas. Also, the NAACP has established a disaster relief fund to accept monetary donations to aid in the relief effort. The NAACP, founded in 1909, is America’s oldest civil rights organization." Checks can be sent to the NAACP payable to: NAACP Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund 4805 Mt. Hope Drive Baltimore, MD 21215

Donations can also be made online at naacp.org/disaster/contribute.php Local/POC-led relief Team Rescue One "Set up by native New Orleans rapper Master P and his wife Sonya Miller" http://www.teamrescueone.com Local direct relief (food, clothing) to low-income/POC Local religious & community spaces

"You can mail or ship non perishable items to these following locations, which we have confirmed are REALLY delivering services to folks in need…."

Direct action: supply trip Infoshop.org & Mayday DC (9/1/05) "Infoshop.org collective member, Jamie "Bork" Loughner, has decided to go to the Gulf Coast from Washington, DC with supplies for the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Her trip will be sponsored by Infoshop News and Mayday DC. She is making travel arrangements at this point. Bork is talking about buying water filters at part of the supplies she is taking down. She will also be doing reporting on the situation for Indymedia and Infoshop News."

"Is anybody from Asheville, NC reading this? Bork says that she heard about an activist caravan being organized there .We are also looking for people who can help along the way, providing an overnight place to crash, for example. We've already had one offer from somebody living in Alabama.

People can read more and help out by going to Infoshop News: http://www.infoshop.org/inews/." Anarchist & anti-authoritarian relief actions Infoshop.org

"<snip> I'm creating a page on Infoshop.org on what anarchist and anti-authoritarians are doing for relief projects.

Preserving New Orleans culture during rebuilding NOAH: a new houston/nola musicians support project "Everyone knows that a huge part of New Orleans' culture is its music. But how can this be preserved so that it will be ready when the city rebuilds? <snip> The project is named: SHONOF (pronounced “sho’nuff”: Safe Harbor for Our New Orleans Friends). Primary goals are: 1. To contact New Orleans musicians, wherever they are, and let them know there is a support group in Houston ready to help them, provide housing, get gigs, etc. 2. To line up apartments, rooms, etc. for these people to live in until they can get on their feet. 3. To organize an instrument clearing house whereby the musicians can get access to needed instruments in order to perform and make a living. 4. To urge local venues--clubs, restaurants, hotels, etc.--to expand their use of live musicians. 5. To organize and hold benefit concerts featuring the New Orleans musicians, supplemented by the best of Houston musicians, to raise money to help the musicians and the project. 6. To share their current gigs with the New Orleans musicians, either by adding a player or two to their performing group or by relinquishing an entire gig." Gigi Hill may be contacted on (713) 503-3518, gigi [at] noahleans.org. Their new website is http://www.noahleans.org

Direct assistance to people w/ HIV/AIDS AIDS Alliance "AIDS Alliance ... have set up a fund and have already started distributing funds to women and kids who went to title 4 clinics in the affected areas -- so that is a good way to immediately get funds out to PWAs of color. They are doing tons of one on one support work to help people get relocated and settled and into care, etc."

Donate online:

https://secure.ga3.org/03/ KatrinaEmergencyFund Refugee-organized supply convoy Get Your Act On! 9/3/05 "...(Jeffrey and Andrea) are currently in Waco, TX. almost NOTHING is getting in via 'official' channels (we have spoken to people still in the city). Our house is still standing and should be relatively free of flood waters by now, so it will be used as a base for relief efforts as we are just 6 blocks from the lower 9th ward, one of the hardest hit neighborhoods. We will be purchasing a van or getting a large UHaul, filling it with supplies and driving it back to New Orleans."

Direct action/ food convoy Food Not Bombs "We plan to send another busload of food to the effected area. <snip>Our Food Not Bombs chapters in New Orleans and Biloxi, Mississippi have been wiped out. Our groups in Houston, Austin, San Antonio Jackson, Pensacola, Memphis and other southern cities are feeding people fleeing the disaster. Food Not Bombs is ready to help the tens of thousands of people that have been made homeless by the storm. Thanks, Keith McHenry - cofounder of Food Not Bombs. http://www.foodnotbombs.net/ "

"If you can help cook and serve food, have money you can donate or have the time to call groceries and warehouses for food please contact us at http://www.foodnotbombs.net. You can make a financial donation on line or mail checks to Food Not Bombs, P.O. Box 744, Tucson, AZ 85702. Please call (1-800-884-1136 ) or email (katrina [at] foodnotbombs.net ) us if you can join us on the bus or help with gas money. We intend to leave in the next few days."

Local grassroots relief & rebuilding New Orleans Network/New Orleans League "For those of us in exile from the region or are still there trying to survive, we hope this site can be used for: * Finding people we love and meeting fellow citizens. * Assessing what our communities need wherever we may have landed. * Collecting our stories, pictures, and art. * Starting conversations about the issues connected to this disaster. * Organizing the exile communities of displaced people from the New Orleans region. * Finding ways to reconnect us all, whether we have access to computers or not." Donate online: http://neworleansnetwork.org "100% of the funds go to the New Orleans League to advocate for their city and neighbors."